Troops have been rushed to ward off fresh bid at infiltration through the Mushko Valley, which is an extremely difficult area owing to the terrain and has routes going down to Pahalgam and Sheshnag, said PPS Bindera, Maj Gen (General Staff) at the Northern Command HQs at Udhampur.

Clarifying reports about the capture of Indian posts by Pakistan, Bindera denied that any post had fallen to the infiltrators. ``The first infiltrators were noticed in the Batalik complex on May 7 by an Army patrol. The areas occupied by the militants are those we vacate in winter and take over again in summer even as surveillance is maintained throughout,'' he said. He also denied reports of a helicopter having beenshot down by the infiltrators.

The infiltrators have been surrounded, their supply lines choked off and are being pounded by heavy guns and small arms fire, Bindera told The Indian Express today, adding that many infiltrators had been either killed or wounded going by the radio intercepts.

While 50-60 infiltrators are estimated to be in the Batalik complex, two or three groups have been besieged by the Army in the areas north of Drass. Putting the total number of infiltrators to have come since May 7 through the three area of Kargil - Batalik complex, north of Drass and Mushko Valley - at more than a 100, Bindera said firing on the militants had inflicted between 20-30 deaths along with injuries to many others.